2/23/25 Report - Detectorist Finds Rare "Divination Spoon." Big Event in Fort Pierce: Cracker Trail Ride. Shark Attacks. Rip Tides.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Divination is an ancient practice. People from across the world have used various ways to attempt to anticipate or predict the future, but have you ever heard of divination spoons? Well, a 2,000-year-old bronze spoon that may have been used for such things has been discovered on private land on the West Coast of the Isle of Man, in the British Isles.

The bronze Iron Age spoon is the first of its kind to be discovered on the Isle of Man, although 27 similar artifacts have been recovered from across Britain, Ireland, and France. This particular spoon was found on the farmland of David Anderson by Rob Middleton, a metal detectorist....

“The spoons are usually found in pairs, and it has been suggested that liquid of some form would have been poured into the spoon which has the cross, and whatever quarter it landed in would tell something about the future. The details of such ceremonies have been lost in the midst of time,” Fox explained.

Here is the link for much more about that.

2,000-Year-Old Divination Spoon Discovered On The Isle Of Man Is Only 28th Ever Found 

---

Saturday morning there were more people in Fort Pierce than I had ever seen.  The parking lots were full and the streets were lined with people ready to watch the 32nd Annual Fort Pierce Cracker Trail Ride.

Fort Pierce Cracker Trail Ride Saturday.
Image from TCPalm.  See link below.

The 34th annual Florida Cracker Trail Ride, a 120-mile ride that began in Bradenton on Feb. 12, ended Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021, with a parade through downtown Fort Pierce. Every year, the Florida Cracker Trail Association recreates the ride across the state to bring attention to Florida's history with cattle pioneers and the cattle drives that took place annually beginning after the Civil War...

Here is the link for the rest of the TCPalm article.

Fort Pierce's annual Cracker Trail Ride brings horseback parade through downtown

In the early 1500s, Spanish conquistador, Juan Ponce de León landed on the shores of Florida in an attempt to colonize. Thwarted and attacked by Native Americans, the colonists abandoned their quest, leaving behind the first livestock in North America… horses, hogs and Andalusian cattle, the ancestors of the Texas Longhorns.

Florida was mostly wide, green spaces (natural pastureland) and livestock bred and ran wild for centuries. In northern Florida, those who raised cattle fought Indian raids, mosquitoes, fever ticks, storms, swamps and snakes...

As railroads reached into Florida, it became a chief supplier of cattle to the Confederacy for hides, tallow, leather and meat during the Civil War.,,

Following the Civil War, a rugged brand of individual settled along Florida’s east coast and central corridor. These early settlers became known by their Northern neighbors, as Florida Crackers, Cracker Cowmen or Cow Hunters.

The early Crackers would hunt and round up cows over the wooded rangelands and miles and miles of open plains, in the hammocks, and by the rivers and streams, and had a unique way of herding cattle...\

For more about that bit of Florida history, here is a link to the Florida Cracker Trail Association.

Our History | Florida Cracker Trail Association | Florida Cracker Trail Association

---

It seems shark attacks and fatalities have been decreasing.

The 2024 low was the lowest of any years since 1996.

---

Rip Current Statement issued February 22 at 1:27AM EST until February 23 at 4:00AM EST by NWS Melbourne FL.

Statement or not, you always have to be careful of rip currents.  They create dips that are attractive for detectorists but can be a real life-danger if you aren't a strong swimmer or don't know how know how to respond to them.

The first time I was caught in a rip tide while hunting in the water in South Florida it was a surprise.  I didn't really know about rip tides.  Through luck or stupidity, I did the right thing.

If you have a lot of carrying a lot of equipment, maybe a weight belt, metal detector and scoop, that isn't ideal for swimming.  Some detectorists are not good swimmers but wander into the water anyhow.  That isn't as common along the Treasure Coast because of the permitted salvage areas that keep detectorists out of the water, but also, the rougher surf on the Treasure Coast and the nearshore conditions are not as good for wading.  Many of the tourist beaches down south have nice sloping shallow areas where you can wade more safely.  They also have more lifeguards.  Still, a rogue wave can catch you off=guard and knock you off your feet, especially if you are focusing on your detector or a signal.

Here is a link to instructions for dealing with a rip tide.

How to Get out of a Rip Current: A Survival Guide

---

Source: SurfGuru.com.

Expect a north wind and NE surf.  The high tides are not huge now and the surf will be decreasing.

Beautiful weather for being out and there are many snow-birds to lose things at the beach.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net